The document discusses the history and benefits of hiking, as well as the ecological impacts and sustainability issues surrounding the popular "Three Peaks Challenge" in the UK. It outlines stakeholder conflicts between hiking groups, residents, and environmental/economic interests. Suggestions are provided to help balance these competing concerns, such as route rotation and improved visitor infrastructure, but no clear verdict is reached on whether the challenge can be completed sustainably.

1. Sustainable Hiking? Ling Hui Rubena Mahjabeen Oliver Jackson James Morvan

2. Agenda Introduction Benefits of hiking Ecological Impacts 3 Peaks Challenge – A case study Sustainability Issues Stakeholder Conflicts Academic Frameworks Suggestions Verdict

3. Introduction Hiking was developed during the Stone Age. Nowadays, when we talk about Hiking and Trekking, we mean it in the pastime sense of the word When it comes to historical milestones in Hiking, we would probably have to look at the historical highlights in Mountaineering

4. Historical Milestones: Here are some of those Mountaineering milestones: 1874 - Grove, Gardiner, Walker, Sottajev and Knubel reached the summit of the highest mountain in Europe: Elbrus –Europe, 5642m / 18,150ft, Kabardino-Balkaria, Caucasus 1913 - Karstens, Harper, Tatum and Stuck reached the summit of the highest mountain in North America: Mount McKinley- North America, 6194m / 20,320ft, Alaska, USA, Alaska Range 1953 - Norgay and Hillary reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world: Mount Everest –Asia, 8848m / 29,028ft, Tibet/Nepal, Himalaya 1985 - Dick Bass reached Mount Everest and became the first person to reach the summits of the highest peaks of each of the seven continents.

5. For the love of the mountain….

6. Benefits of hiking: The hiking is relatively much simpler and more beneficial than any other exercise. It improves our physical as well as mental health. Such as losing excess pounds, preventing heart disease, decreasing hypertension or high blood pressure, improving and maintaining mental health, slowing the aging process, and so on. But what is the human impact?

7. Litter on the mountain…

8. Violence on the mountain!

9. Ecological impacts: Building fires: It may well be that we are stripping an area of valuable nutrients for wildlife and other vegetation as well as removing what might be a living creature’s home. Human wastes: Human waste incorrectly dumped is one of the biggest causes of environmental damage. Both human faeces and urine can contaminate natural water. Viewing wild-life: One of the attractions for hikers and walkers is to spot certain species of wildlife as they go about their business.

10. Ecological impacts: [contd.] Erosion of soil and Damaging vegetation “ Take only photographs, leave only footprints ”.

11. 3 Peaks 24 hr Challenge Snowdon (1085m, Wales) Scafell Pike (978m, England) Ben Nevis (1334m, Scotland)

12. What is 3 Peaks Challenge? What is the Three Peaks Challenge? This challenge is to consecutively climb Ben Nevis (1334m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (1085m) within a 24 hour period. How long is the Challenge? The challenge involves some 450 miles of driving, and around 26 miles of walking/climbing . It also includes around 10,000' of ascent and descent (3300m ). Who takes part in your Challenges? Participants from large corporate organisations, charities, works sports and social clubs, walking and fitness clubs, rotary clubs and general groups of friends or workmates. Why people attempt? There is no formal governing body of the National Three Peaks Challenge. Each year a large number of organised attempts are made at the challenge with the aim of fundraising for charity , in which sponsorship is sought by participants, but many people are purely interested in the physical challenge and make attempts in small groups.

14. In training for the three peaks You Decide!

15. Who Own The 3 Peaks? Snowdonia is essentially owned by its inhabitants . Up to 75% is in private ownership, while the remaining land is divided between the Forestry Commission, Dŵr Cymru, the National Trust, Crown Common Land and others, with the Snowdonia National Park Authority (central planning authority) owning less than 1%. Bought by John Muir Trust for conservation Donated to National Trust in 1920 for conservation

16. Voices from management The Park Authority currently has a policy which states that it will not support events with more than 30 participants. This has no effect on the number of events or of participants and merely causes some organisers not to contact the Authority at all. The Authority has no powers to limit the number or size of events. We urge people to consider other ways of raising funds and to think twice about taking part. We strongly recommend that anyone climbing Ben Nevis carries suitable food, drink and clothing and is competent with a map and compass. Please read and follow local safety advice. Do not rely on others to get you down! We urge charities and fundraising organisations involved with the Three Peaks Challenge event during 2008 to carefully observe the relevant codes of practice for this event. Snowdonia National Park Authority John Muir Trust The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) and the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA)

17. News about 3 Peaks Challenge Charity climbers accused of scarring hills and Disturbing local communities Fundraising for good courses. Physical and mental well-being Sustainable Hiking?

18. Sustainability Issues Defining Sustainability and sustainable development in operational terms has proved problematic Economists have preferred to base sustainability on the maintenance of the total stock of capital, allowing future generations the opportunity to enjoy the same level of well being as their predecessors Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

19. Social Local residents sleep has been disturbed by vehicles arriving at night , the slamming of car doors, parking on verges etc Traffic congestion Reports of drivers falling asleep at the wheel between locations The lack of mains water has resulted in the already limited water supply being exhausted Amateur hikers cause strain on the mountain rescue Land use conflicts

20. Economic Tourism in the Scottish highlands accounts for 17.4% of all jobs, the highest proportion of any region in Scotland, and 30% of the GDP 767’000 mountaineers visited the highlands in 1996, and spent approx. £162m Of the economically active population in the Lake District, 37.5% work in ‘retailing, transport and catering’ and 29.75% in ‘service industries’ Although many people are employed directly through tourism, others jobs are supported indirectly through visitor spending

21. Environmental Dumping litter kills wildlife whilst also encourages scavengers such as rats and gulls Complaints that hillsides have been scarred by parties of up to 1,000 hikers at a time and that verges and streams have been polluted with human excrement and urine Impacts vegetation cover Disturbance to some fragile wildlife including birds Case of the Golden Plover, an upland breeding bird and the Pennine Way http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldenplover/videos.asp

22. Mountain community conflicts Many stakeholder groups with conflicts; ‘ 3 Peakers’ Vs Other Hikers Residents Vs Tourism Economy Vs Environment - Where is the balance?

23. Stakeholder Conflicts Mitchell, Agle and Wood – Identification and Prioritisation of stakeholders

24. The Rio Declaration (Principle 15) and the Precautionary Principle In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by states according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. A recognition of the modest extent of scientific understanding of ecosystems Ignores harm to the local area and community (eg tourism)

25. Zone of Tolerance

26. Suggestion Existing Honey pot Maintain footpaths Info centre Long walk in Fines Our proposals to 3 peaks challenge Remarketing/Demarketing Charity guidelines Route rotation Recovery year Public transport

27. Verdict Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury Please decide whether this man….. …… can ‘sustainably’ and responsibly complete the three peaks challenge

28. References Crabtree, B. & Bayfield, N. (1998) Developing sustainability indicators for mountain ecosystems: a study of the Cairngorms, Scotland. Journal of Environmental Management. Vol 54 pp, 1-14 Brudtland report Finner, S. K., Pearce-Higgins, J.W. & Yalden, D.W. (2004) The effect of recreational disturbance on an upland breeding bird, the golden plover. Biological Conservation. Vol: 121 pp, 53-63 Websites: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-24-2006-91812.asp http://www.abc-of-hiking.com/hiking-history/hiking-history.asp http://www.american hiking .org/news/pdfs/health_ben.pdf http://www.walkingandhiking.co.uk/ecological-impact-of-hiking.html http:// www.jmt.org http:// www.eryri-npa.co.uk http:// www.nationaltrust.org.uk http:// www.youtube.com http://www.merseyventure.com/openchallenge08/threepeakschallenge.htm http://www.guardian.co.uk/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/